Hi there Reader!

Happy April 1st!

I can't quite believe that April is here already when it seems like January was only yesterday, but here we are. Spring feels like it has finally arrived here, with sunny skies and warm weather at last! I hope it's the same for you, although if you're in the southern hemisphere, then perhaps Autumn has arrived already!

I'm not one for April Fools pranks, but I was thinking about all the different travel advice I've had over the years - often from people who seldom leave their own country!

The Worst Kind of Travel Advice

"Don't go to XX country/city because it's too dangerous (from someone who has never been and has no experience of the destination AT ALL!)"

I always take this kind of "advice" with a large pinch of salt. If the person giving you this advice has never been and is only repeating what they have heard, or worse, just what they think they know, then do a lot more research before you make your own decision.

I lost count of the number of times I heard that while I was planning my South America trip. I heard it from people in England and Spain before I'd left, I heard it from people while I was their talking about neighbouring countries, and I still hear it now!

Sometimes it is justified. I loved my time in Venezuela and it breaks my heart but I can't in good conscience recommend that people go there.

The lack of basic medical supplies and health care is enough for me to warn people from going to Venezuela, but other countries like Colombia or Mexico still have dangerous areas but I adored them both and have no hesitation recommending them - as long as you take some basic precautions, and don't visit the known high-risk areas.

But most of the time it's unfounded. And with more research, you can learn about the risks, which areas you should avoid and take advice from people who live or have been there to make your own decision.

The Advice I Wish I Had Been Given

There are 2 key pieces of travel advice that I wish people had given me before I started solo travelling.

Trust your gut.

You know that feeling you get when you know something isn't quite right? Female intuition, a spidey sense, a general sensation somewhere in the pit of your stomach or on the back of your neck when it just feels like something bad is going to happen.

This is the most important piece of travel advice I wish I had been given, but most people were so busy trying to talk me out of going that they forgot about my instincts and the confidence I have in myself from living in any city today.

If you wouldn't walk home alone at night in your own home town, don't do it anywhere else. If you get a strange vibe from someone, move away or ask for help from someone who does feel right.

If you feel like you are in any kind of danger or uncomfortable situation, then do what you have to do to get out of it. Don't worry about seeming rude or abrupt if you don't want to talk to someone. Your safety is your number 1 priority, nothing else.

JDFI. Just F*cking Do It.

After all of that dreaming, researching and planning, sometimes the hardest part about going on a solo trip is taking the final step and doing it - so take that leap and do it!

Remember that no matter where you are in the world, there will always be people willing to help you, and you will be just a phone call away from friends and family.

If solo travel is something you have dreamt about, then now is the time to make your dreams come true. You can do it! You are a strong, confident person, and you are going to get out there and see the world.

Want more solo travel advice? Check out the Solo Travel section on Tales of a Backpacker for more!

Happy travels!

Love, Claire x